Pesto Hummus

The other night before I went to sleep I put a bunch of chickpeas in my slow cooker to simmer overnight. I do that quite often - put a pot of beans on the cook before I go to sleep and wake up the next morning wondering what to do with them. Despite not having any lemon juice on hand, I decided to make hummus. After scouring my refrigerator and pantry for lemon juice substitutes, I decided to use some pesto sauce that was sitting in there.

I used my homemade Broccoli Pesto, a thicker pesto. It would be simply delicious if you made the Broccoli Pesto, however you can use any pesto that isn't runny and saucy. Using the pesto, you don't need any tahini or olive oil.

This time I made the Broccoli Pesto with fresh parsley instead of spinach (as in the recipe) since that is what I had on hand. To match, I added some fresh parsley to the hummus. If your pesto uses basil, add basil - etc. This makes a pretty big batch of hummus - we eat it very quickly as a spread for sandwiches and dip for crackers and veggies. Cut the recipe in half if you don't think you'll eat it all in time.

Pesto Hummus

• 2 cups chickpeas
• 6 tablespoon Broccoli Pesto
• 1 tablespoon [vegan] mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• pinch of sea salt, to taste

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until thick and creamy. Add a little bit of olive oil if it's too thick for your tastes.

Chickpea Salad

This is a very simple substitute for tuna salad, chicken salad or egg salad for sandwiches or snacking. I like to spread a good portion on multigrain bread and top it with romaine lettuce, cucumber slices and extra mayonnaise and mustard. It's also delicious as a thick and chunky dip for crackers.

I'm not a huge mayonnaise fan, but when I do use it, I use an organic canola oil mayonnaise - it's a small bit healthier than the supermarket variety, and organic means that it doesn't use genetically modified canola. Experiment with the seasonings in this - use some cumin and paprika, or maybe a pinch of curry powder or some hot sauce.

*** To make this vegan: simply substitute your favorite mayonnaise replacement, such as Nayonaise, Veganaise or a homemade version.

This recipe will make enough for two to three sandwiches. 


Chickpea Salad

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons mustard (any kind you'd like)
• 1 small red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• sea salt and black pepper

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, mayonnaise and mustard until they form a rough and chunky paste. Transfer to a medium sized bowl and mix in the vegetables. Season to taste.